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Show H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. BOOK VIII. their horfes, and where a large army of the enemy expeCl:ed them, con~ cerning the number of which authors have been various in their opinions (z). There a terrible contdl: began, in which the Spaniards thought they mutl: have been totally defiroyed. Bu t having formed themfelves afrefh, in the befi manner they could, and eing encouraged by the example :md exhortations of their gencntl, they extricated themfelves from th ~t dangerous fitu ation; and coming again into the plain, they made fu ch havock of the enemy with their artillery and horfes, that they forced them to retreat. Of the Tlafcalans a vaft number were wounded, and not a few by dead on the field. Of the Spaniards, although fifteen were dangerouGy wounded, one ~nly died the next day. · On this occafion a famous duel happened between an officer of the Tlafcalans and one of the Chempoallefe nobles, who had been fen~ with the mefiage from Cortes to the Tlafcalans. They fought for · fome time mofi bravely in fight of the two arn1ies, until at lafl: the Chempoallefe noble prevailed; and having thrown his antagouiH to · the g~ound, cut off his head, and bore it in triumph to his camp. The v1tl:ory was celebrated with acclamations and martial mufic. The ·place ~?ere the battle :was. fought was called Teoatzi?Jco, or place of the Dtvme Water, and IS fbll known in that country. That night the Spanilh army fixed their camp upon a hill, where there was a tower, about eighteen miles fi·om the capital of Tlafcala. They erected barracks ~or the accommodation of the troops, and formed entrenchment~ for thetr defence. In this place the Spaniards remained encamped untll the peace with the Tlafcalans. Cortes, in ord~~ to c~mpel. the Tlafcalans, by hofl:ilities, to accept of peace and the fnendf111p wh1ch he offered, made an excurfion on the 3d of September, with his cavalry, a hundred Spanifl1 infantry three hundred ~hempoallas, and three hundred Mexicans of the gan~ifon of lzl.t cmaxtttlan, fet fire to five or fix hamlets , and m ad e fio ur h un d re d pnfoners, whom, after having carelfed and entertained them he {c t . t l'b 1 . h ' c ·"" 1 erty, c largmg t e principal perfons among them to go and offer {z) Bunni Diaz fays , that the nrmy of the Tlafcnlnns confi!lc:d of b r , men. To Cortes they DJlpeared tot: d h d n out •Ort~ thoufa ntl . xcec a un red- thoufnnd Oth I ·n . h f: . tharty thoufnnd. It is difficult to co h b • • er 11 onans ave ;ud when they do not preferve the order :ruEte t e num er of a large army by the eye:, efpccially oT~o Jlul u ar. unply that the army was num· em ' urol?ean troops • In or·d er to avo1' d nn erroJ•1 we h:w.e us. . peace, H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. peace, in his name, to the chiefs of that nation. They immediately went to the young Xicotencatl, who was encamped, with a large army, fix miles dif!ant from that hill. This fiery youth anfwcred, that if the Spaniards wilhed to treat of pe<tce, they might go to th e capital, where tht;y would be facrificed as vitl:ims to their gods, and their fle(h be nude fooJ for the Tlaft:nbns ; that, as to him!Clf, he would come the next day in p-..rfon, to give them a dccifive anfwer. This refolution being, communicated to the Sp:tniards by the f.1.me mefJe nger, raifcd fuch an al.lrm among them, that they prepared themfelves that night for death by the confeffion of the fac rament, without however omitting the neceffary di fpoGtions for their defence. The following day, the 5th of September, the Tlafcalan army appeared not lcfs terrible, from the immcnfe multitude of their numbers, than beautiful to view, from the infinite variety of their plumes, and other military ornaments. It was divided into ten fquadrons, each of ten thou~nd men ; every one carrit.:d its proper ibndard. In the rear-guard, according to the cufi:om of that nation, was placed the common. fl:andard. of the republic,. which, as we have already mentioned, was a golden eagle with expanded wings . The prince Xicotencatl, in order to make it undcrfiood how little he valued the arms· of the Spaniards, and that he [corned to take them by famine, but meant to conquer them by battle, fent them a refreflm1ent of three hundred. turkeys and two hundred baik.ets of Tama//i, to recruit their fl:rength for the engag~ent. A little after he detached two thonfand brave men to enter the camp of the Spaniards by affi1 ult. This attack was fo violent aiid fudden, that they forced the entrenchments, entered the camp, and encou.n tered man to man with the Spaniards. The Tlafcalans might ) now have proved conquerors, 110t only from the fuperiority of their numbers, but alfo from their bravery and the nature of their arms, which wet:e pikes, lances, [words, and darts, with double and triple points, if a difcord amoJJg thcmfe lves had not rendered the vitl:ory eafy to their enemies . The fon of Chichinwca T eud li, who commanded a body of troops belonging to his father, having received [orne infult in words from fhc arrogant Xicotencatl, conceiv.cd fo much indignation againfl: him that he challen ,ed h~m to a fingle combat, which f11aulcl. dctennine their courage and their for.tunc; but having been\ 37 B.O_O_K__ V_I.I.I,. |